Resilient fabric



April 1935. w. M. STEVENSON 1,999,067

RESILIENT FABRIC Filed April 26, 1953 ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE RE SILIENT FABRICWilliam M. Stevenson, Springfield, Mass., as-

signor to Chicopee Mfg. Corp., Chicopee Falls, Mass, a corporation ofMassachusetts Application April 26, 1933, Serial No. 667,944

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in resilient fabrics, and moreparticularly to that type of resilient fabric which is intended for useas a cushioning member for fioor covering to be placed 5 under carpetsand rugs.

An object of my invention is to provide a resilient fabric, which willmaintain its resiliency throughout its life, without matting down, evenwhen the carpet, or rug, is of light weight construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a fabric, whichincorporates in its structure, a multitude of closely arranged aircells, thereby forming a spongelike structure, which will give, or

' yield, under pressure and immediately return to its normal form, orshape, when the pressure is removed.

These, and other objects and advantages of my invention will be furtherbrought out and described in the specification, the drawing, and theappended claims.

Broadly, my invention comprises a foundation weave of the usual typeemploying warp threads and filling threads into which is woven, orsecured, a yarn of cotton, wool, jute, pulp, paper, or any other fibrousmaterial, in such a manner as'to form upwardly projecting loops abovethe surface of the foundation weave, in such close proximity that theloops mutually support each other. These loops also provide the aircells.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a section of the finished fabric, with aportion shown in section, to illustrate the foundation weave, thesection being considered in a plane horizontal to the surface.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, in which like numerals refer tolike parts throughout:

The foundation weave comprises the warp threads l and 2 and the fillingthreads 3. Into, or incorporated with this foundation weave, is woventhe yarn l, which is composed of several strands i, in such a manner asto form the upwardly projecting loops 5. In the weave, illustrated inthe drawing, the yarn l passes under the filling thread 3, then islooped over, or skipping, the next adjacent filling thread 3, as shownin Fig. 2 at 3'; thence under the next adjacent filling thread, and soon, as shown. The loops 5 form, by their projection above the foundationweave, the air cells, or pockets 6. The loops 5 may be so spaced,

as to touch each other, as shown at l, in Figs. 1 and 2, or they may beslightly spaced from each other, depending upon the degree of resiliencyrequired. The diameter of the yarn 4 is materially greater than the warpand filling threads, I, 2, and 3, which will provide loops 6 ofsubstantial size, as shown.

In operation, when a carpet, or rug, is placed on the fabric, asillustrated, in dotted lines at 3 in Fig. 2, and pressure is exertedthereon, the loops 5, which are located immediately under the pressure,are, or will be, permitted to be displaced, or flattened, due to the aircells, or spaces 6, and, when the pressure is removed, these loops arere turned to their normal shape by the crowding of the loops, boundingthe pressure area.

I have shown one type of weave in the drawing, but I do not confinemyself solely to this type, as it will be readily understood by any oneskilled in the art, that this construction may be varied, orincorporated, in any type of weave, the invention being in the pluralityof upwardly extending loops of fibrous material, forming air spacesbetween the tops of the loops and the foundation weave. The spacing ofthe loops may be varied, as for instance; the loops, instead ofincluding a single thread, as shown in the drawing, may include pairs ofthreads, or any other combination.

What I claim is:-

1. As an article of manufacture, a fabric comprising warp and fillingthreads, threads of yarn relatively larger in diameter than the warp andfilling threads and alternately looped under and over the fillingthreads to provide large air cells in the loops on the top surface ofsaid fabric, each loop touching the loops next adjacent on each edgethereof, and each thread of said looped yarn being in close lateralproximity to adjacent looped threads, whereby said loops are mutuallysupported on all sides when pressure is applied thereon.

2. As an article of manufacture, a resilient fabric comprising weftthreads, warp threads arranged in pairs, the warp threads in each paircrossing the weft threads alternately above and below said weft threadsand in opposed relation to each other, threads of yarn alternatelylooped over and under said weft threads between each pair of warpthreads to provide resilient loops on the upper side of said warp andweft threads, said yarn threads being relatively larger in diameter thansaid warp and weft threads, and each loop of said yarn being engaged byadjoining loops in a warpwise direction and in close proximity toadjoining loops in a weftwise direction, whereby 2 said loops aremutually engaged for support under pressure.

3. In a resilient fabric for floor coverings, a base fabric comprisingweft and warp threads,

5 yarns of relatively larger diameter than said. weft and warp threadsWoven into said base fabric and.

providing a plurality of upwardly extending loops mutually engagedlongitudinally and in close proximity transversely for mutual supportunder pressure, said loops forming 'air cells between the tops of theloops and the base fabric.

WILLIAM M. STEVENSON.

